Grain-shredding machine.



P. REGNIER.

GRAIN SHREDDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION III-ED MAR.14,1906.

Patented May 28, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON! D. c.

unmen F. REGNIER.

GRAIN SHRBDDING MACHINE. APPLICATION TILED MAR.14,1906.

Patented May 28, 1912.

4 BHBETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK REGNIER, OF NIAGARA FALIiS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHREDDED- WHEAT COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

v(ii-RA]:N-SI-IR IElDDINGr MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed March 14, 1906. Serial No. 306,058.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, FREDERICK REGNIER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have made a cer tain new and useful Invention in Grain- Shredding Machines ;'and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the filamentous reduction of grain by means of finely grooved rolls it has been found that the grooves of the rolls and the scraper or comb engaging said grooves are apt to become clogged with particles of the crushed grain, and it is the object of the present improvement chiefly to provide, in a machine of this character, means whereby this clogging is avoided.

My invention, therefore, relates to improvements in grain shredding machines, in which crushing rolls having fine circumferential grooves operate in conjunction wit-h a bank of discharging needles which are of elastic character, and which are held in tension, and in engagement with the grooves of said rolls, to effect the discharge of the shreds or filaments of grain upon a moving or reciprocating receiver, and the objects of my invention are not only to provide eflicie'nt means for discharging the filaments from the grooves of the rolls, but also to render them self-cleaning, and to increase their durability.

In the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating the inventionFigure 1 is a front elevation of a shredding machine partly in section, and partly broken away, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same on the line 22, Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is a side'elevation ofthe same. Fig. 4c is a top plan view of the reciprocating table and the receiving trough. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the reciprocating table, showing the gear wheel 18, in dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the grooved roll h, and the bank of discharging needles. Fig. 7 is a detail side view of one of the dischargingneedles. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the end of one of the discharging needles, which engages the groove in the roll. F 1g. 91s a fragmentary cross section on an enlarged scale of the bank of discharging needles.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the bed r, and cap plate a, for the discharging needles. Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111., Fig. 6. Fig. 12 is a detail view of the bank of discharging needles in place in the, bed 1".

The main frame a, is provided with a hollow pedestal portion 6, above which is located the part c, which carries the shredding rolls, the discharging device, and the hopper. Below the part 0, at the top of the pedestal, is provided a slot or way (5, having tracks 6, for the support of the moving table f, on which a receiver 9, is placed to receive the filaments as they are discharged from the shredding rolls. The shredding rolls h, and is, are shown with their axes in the same horizontal plane, and parallel to each other. Although both of these rolls may be finished with grooves, it is preferred that one roll 76, shall have a smooth hard cylindrical surface. The surface of the other roll h, consists of a series of line circumferential grooves, which are V-form in cross section, having truncated bottoms, and being separated byfine divisions of the cylindrical surface between the grooves. These rolls are provided with journals,

which are seated in bearings of. the por- 'tions. 0, the bearings for the smooth roll belt pulley 6, at one end, and near the other end a loose clutch pinion 7, which is in engagement with the toothed wheel of one of the rolls. This clutch pinion is operated by means of a clutch slide 8, on the shaft 5, which is moved into and out of engagement with the clutch pinion by means of a lever. At the lower end of the pedestal of the frame, is provided a short shaft 9, having at its outer end a pulley 10, and at its inner end a bevel pinion 12, engaging a bevel pinion 13, at the lower end of a vibratory upright shaft 14, which is provided with a rounded or spherical journal 15, at its lower end, said journal being stepped in a concave bearing 16, of the frame. The pulley 10, at the outer end of this short shaft g, is geared to the pulley 4, by means of a belt 17. In this manner the upright shaft let is run by one of the grooved rolls' and the grooved rolls are turned by the power shaft.

The moving table f, extends longitudinally through the track-way and has reciprocating motion on the tracks 6. To this end the bottom of the table is provided with an endless internal tooth rack m, of elongated form, having parallel sides and semi-circular ends. Between the toothed sides midway, is also attached a guide rib n, the ends of which are separated from the semi-circular toothed ends of the rack sufficiently to allow for the passage of a pinion 18, attached to the upper end of the upright shaft 1a. This pinion has a bearing 19, designed to keep it in proper relative position to the rib a, of the table, and said pinion is arranged to engage the rack m. The upright shaft is allowed sufiicient play in the slotted yoke 20, for vibration from side to side, as it operates the rack, to reciprocate the table on the tracks 6. Between longitudinal ribs 21, of the table is placed there on the receiver 9, on which the filaments of grain fall from the shredding rolls. The toothed wheels of the shredding rolls are covered by a guard 22.

On bearings 29, of the cheeks or walls 23 of the portions 0, of the frame is attached the bed 0*, of the discharging device, said bed extending transversely in front of the grooved roll, and having lateral extensions provided with slots 26, for the passage of the attachment bolts. The upper surface of the bed is slightly concave from front to rear and said surface is inclined downward and toward the lower portions of said grooved roll. On this bed and in forcible engagement therewith is the bank 8, of the discharging needles t, which are in contact with each other side by side, and are held in such forcible contact with the bed by the grooved cap piece a, which is bolted to said bed and forms therewith a tension clamp. The lower surface of this cap piece is slightly convex and inclined to correspond with the form ofthe bearing surface of the bed. The cap piece is provided with V- form grooves in series side by side, in number and size equal to the grooves of the shredding roll, so that each discharging needle, which is likewise V--form in cross section on its upper edge, is firmly held in proper position to engage a corresponding groove of the roll. The discharging needles are normally straight and about four inches long, and are made of finely tempered steel. They have flat sides and bottoms and their upper edges are salient V-form so that they will fit the grooves of the roll. In the bank, they are in contact by their sides, and they are held firmly in relative position by their tension under the binding strain of the cap piece on the bed. Although the needles are held sulficiently firmly to do their work in the grooves of the shredding roll, which they engage by their ends, they are readily set up to their work by slight tapping as they become worn. Although in contact by their sides, and in this manner supporting each other laterally, their elasticity provides for slight vibration of their working ends, whereby their action is rendered more eitec tive in the discharge of the filaments from the grooves of the roll, and whereby they operate to keep the bank free from clogging.

Above the shredding rolls, is a hopper 1:, which is supported upon adjusting screws q. The hopper is provided with inclined slide valves w, which are adjustable by means of short adjusting levers 2st, and serve to regulate the feed to the shredding rolls. The hopper is usually connected to a valved spout 25, through which the grain descends by a flexible tube 2', which is made of cloth and may be tied up when it is desired to cut off the feed close to the hopper, and at the same time keep the grain so cut off in proper condition for shredding.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a grain shredding machine, the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, one of which is provided with a series of fine circumferential grooves, of a plurality of attenuated scrapers having wedge-form edge portions, and a clamp device having wedgeform grooves in engagement with the wedge-form edge portions of said scrapers.

2. In a grain shredding machine, the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, one of which is provided with fine circumferential grooves, of a plurality of attenuated scrapers having wedge-form edge portions, and a clamp device having wedge-form grooves in engagement with the wedge-form edge portions of intermediate portions of said scrapers.

3. In a grain shredding machine, the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, one of which is provided with fine circumferential grooves, of a plurality of normally straight spring metal attenuated scrapers having wedge-form edge portions, and a clamp device having bowed upper and lower faces provided with wedge-form grooves in engagement with the wedge-form edge portions of said scrapers.

4:- In a grain shredding machine, the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, one

of which is provided with fine circumferential grooves, of a plurality of attenuated scrapers and a warping clamp in which is secured the intermediate portion of each scraper, said scrapers having free rear eX- tensions projecting beyond the clamp and being adapted for independent endwise adjustment by tapping the rear ends of said extensions.

5. In a grain shredding machine, the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, one of which is provided with fine circumferen tial grooves, of a plurality of attenuated normally straight spring metal scrapers and a clamp having curved upper and lower faces adapted to secure said scrapers by a warping tension to assist in holding them in engagement with the grooves of the roll.

6. In a grain shredding machine, the combination with a pair of crushing rolls, one of which is provided with fine circumferential grooves, of a plurality of attenuated normally straight spring metal scrapers and a clamp having bowed upper and lower faces in engagement With said scrapers to give them a bowed form and put them under spring tension to assist in holding the scrapers in engagement with the grooves of with the grooves of the roll, said scrapers having rear extensions projecting beyond said clamp.

8. An attenuated spring metal scraper for the purpose described, having a wedgeform longitudinal edge portion.

9. An attenuated spring metal scraper for the purpose described, having parallel sides and a reduced longitudinal edge portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK REGNIER.

VVitnes ses:

ALEX, J. PARKER, It. G. JoNEs.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. I 

